Feeding device for cigarettes for cigarette packing machines

ABSTRACT

An apparatus in which cigarettes are ejected in batches in an endwise direction from chutes in which the cigarettes are disposed in vertical stacks. To permit high speed of operation, the cigarettes are urged downwardly in the chutes by air jets so that following the ejection of a batch of cigarettes from the chutes, the next batch to be ejected will move quickly into ejection position. To prevent tilting of the cigarettes in the chutes, the ends of the cigarettes next to drop into ejection position are engaged by a stop member until the ejecting member is withdrawn from beneath the cigarettes, whereupon the stop member is withdrawn and the cigarettes dropped to ejection position while remaining horizontal. The supply of compressed air to the nozzles is preferably regulated so as to take place at about the instant the cigarettes are to drop to ejection position.

United States Patent Niepmann 51 June 27, 1972 [54] FEEDING DEVICE FORCIGARETTES 2,342,680 2/1944 Melzer 198/20 FOR CIGARETTE PACKING MACHI Ep N s FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 72 Inventor: Otto Nie mannGevelsber ,German 1 p g y 869,729 3/1953 Germany ..221/278 [73]Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Fr. Niepmann & Co.,

Gevelsberg, Germany Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk I AssistantExaminer-H. S. Lane [22] Fned' 1969 Attorney-Walter Becker [2]] Appl.No.: 838,253

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data An apparatus inwhich cigarettes are ejected in batches in an endwise direction fromchutes in which the cigarettes are July 2, 1968 Germany ..P 17 57 970.3disposed in vertical stacks To permit high Speed of operation thecigarettes are urged downwardly in the chutes by air jets so [52] U.S.CI..221/68,221/252, 2231457381, that following the ejection of a batch ofcigarettes from the chutes, the next batch to be ejected will movequickly into [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 59/00 ti T v t of th ar n th 58 FieldofSearch ..302/2, 31; 221/93,'278, 68, 1 e chutes, the ends of thecigarettes next to drop into e ection 221/252, 198/20 C, 14, 20

position are engaged by a stop member until the e ecting member iswithdrawn from beneath the cigarettes, whereupon [56] Rem-wees Cited thestop member is withdrawn and the cigarettes dropped to UNITED STATESPATENTS ejection position while remaining horizontal. The supply ofcompressed air to the nozzles is preferably regulated so as to 2,682,9837/1954 Ashcroft 221/93 k place t b t th i t t th i a ett are t d t2,778,476 l/l957 Engleson et al ..221/93 ejection position 3,l06,28210/1963 Schmermund ..221/93 3,127,971 4/1964 Schmermund 193/14 5 Claims,2 Drawing Figures FEEDING DEVICE FOR CIGARE'I'IES FOR CIGARETTE PACKINGMACHINES The invention relates to apparatus for feeding a batch ofcigarettes to a cigarette packing machine with a supply hopper havingchutes associated therewith.

In known forms of feed apparatus a batch of cigarettes is fedperiodically out of a feed hopper and chutes onto a conveyor mechanismand is carried onto a packer feed track.

This process takes place without friction or trouble up to a particularmachine operating speed in the region of 250 to 300 revolutions perminute. However,- as soon as the running speed of the cigarette packingmachine is increased, the drop speed of the cigarettes in the feedhopper no longer sufiices to ensure a trouble-free feed.

In order to accommodate the increased operational speeds, it is known toincrease the number of feed hoppers and associated apparatus, thebatches of cigarettes being ejected along a number of paths, then beingaligned behind one another on the packer feed track beyond. This method,however, entails considerable mechanical complication, which isexpensive and to some extent defeats the. purpose of the desiredincrease in the output of the cigarette packing machine.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide afeeding apparatus of the above mentioned general character which willovercome the above mentioned drawbacks without multiplying the dropchute blocks, ejectors, and receiving cells.

It is another object of this invention to provide a feeding apparatus asset forth in the preceding paragraph, which even at high speed ofrotation will assure a trouble-free dropping of the cigarettes onto thebase plate of the hopper without reducing the time available for thereciprocatory movement of the ejector.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus for feeding cigarettes inaccordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 shown partly insection.

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for feeding abatch of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprising a hopperhaving at its bottom end a number of chutes arranged to be gravity fedwith cigarettes, a base plate beneath the chutes for supporting a batchof cigarettes within the chutes, a downwardly-directed nozzle, mountedon the internal wall of the hopper and arranged to be connected to asupply of compressed gas, a reciprocable member arranged to push a batchof cigarettes from the base plate into an arbor and conveying meansarranged to transfer said batch from the arbor to the cigarette packingapparatus.

Further according to the invention, there is provided an apparatus forfeeding a batch of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprisinga cigarette feed hopper having a nozzle on its internal wall, saidnozzle being directed towards the discharge end of the hopper and beingarranged for connection to a supply of compressed gas.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the feed mechanism for use witha cigarette packing machine (not shown in its entirety) according to theinvention comprises a feed hopper 1, having a front plate 10, a backplate 1b, and chutes 3, as shown most clearly in FIG. 1. The bottom endof the chutes 3 is closed by a base plate 2 which supports the batch ofcigarettes that is to be fed to the packing apparatus.

The cigarettes on the base plate 2 are pushed, by a reciprocatingejector 4, equipped with fingers arranged in three superimposed rows,into an arbor 5, which, as soon as the cigarettes have entered it, islowered from the position shown in solid line to the position shown inbroken line in FIG. 2. When it is in the lower position, a flight 7a ona conveyor chain 7, moves the batch of cigarettes out of the arbor andalong a packer feed track 6, to the packing apparatus.

To increase the speed of fall of the cigarettes in the chutes, the frontand back plates la, lb are each equipped with a compressed-air pipe 8,fitted with air nozzles, 8a, directed obliquely downwards. Thesecompressed-air pipes 8 are connected by a feed pipe 9, to a supply ofcompressed air. There is inserted in the pipe 9, between thecompressed-air pipes 8 and the compressed-air supply, a control valve(not shown), which is opened briefly while the ejector 4 is in theretracted position. The sudden air flow from the air nozzles acceleratesthe fall of the cigarettes so that the speed of the cigarette packingmachine can be increased without upsetting the cigarette feed. Thecontrol valve can be operated, for example, by means of a cam rotatingin synchronism with other parts of the apparatus. The exact moment ofoperation of the valve can be controlled by adjustment of the cam.

Pivoted to the front la of the feed hopper 1, below the compressed-airpipe 8, is a hook-like retaining plate 10, which latches under the frontends of the bottom row of cigarettes within the chutes 3. When theejector 4 is fully retracted from the chutes 3, the retaining strip 10is likewise briefly swung clear of the chutes 3, so that a further batchof cigarettes can then drop horizontally downwards onto the base plate2, whereupon they are contacted by the fingers of the ejector 4 andpushed into the holder 5. The front ends of the cigarettes are notreleased by the plate 10 until the ejector 4, which also serves tosupport the cigarettes in the chutes has just retracted clear of therear ends of the cigarettes, thus ensuring that the cigarettes fallhorizontally.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular showing in the drawing, but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for feeding batches of cigarettes and comprising: ahopper having a plurality of chutes leading downwardly therefrom andterminating in side by side relation, each chute being adapted toreceive a stack of cigarettes by gravity from the hopper with thereceived cigarettes in horizontal position, a base plate at the bottomof said chutes to support the cigarettes therein, said chutes being openat the ends of the cigarettes therein to permit endwise ejection of thecigarettes from the chutes, a member reciprocable in the direction ofthe length of the cigarettes and having pin means thereon to engage theends of the cigarettes to be ejected so as to push the cigarettes fromthe chutes, the cigarettes in the chutes above the ones ejectedtherefrom dropping to ejection position upon retraction of saidreciprocable member following an ejection stroke thereof, and meanslocalized at the lower exit end of said chutes and for urging saidcigarettes downwardly in said chutes to speed up the said droppingthereof to ejection position, said means including nozzle means operablefor inclined directing, opposite to each other briefly during retractionof said reciprocable member, only two jets of compressed airtransversely against longitudinal axis of cigarettes in said chutes inthe generally downward direction.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said nozzle means arearranged inclined to the drop direction along opposite ends of saidchutes near the ends of cigarettes in said chutes and are adapted to besupplied with compressed air.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which said nozzle means arelocated angularly downwardly and inwardly at a level such as to causethe jets therefrom to impinge against the cigarettes which will beuppermost in the chutes when the cigarettes are horizontally in ejectionposition.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes a stop member onthe side of said chutes toward which the cigarettes are ejected adaptedto engage beneath the adjacent ends of the lowermost non-ejectedhorizontal cigarettes in said chutes respectively, and means forwithdrawing said stop member from holding rail relationship beneath theadjacent ends of said cigarettes to permit the cigarettes to drop toejection position.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the said stop member isadapted for being pivotally withdrawn from holding rail relationshipbeneath the adjacent ends of said cigarettes at about the same time assaid pin means.

1. An apparatus for feeding batches of cigarettes and comprising: ahopper having a plurality of chutes leading downwardly therefrom andterminating in side by side relation, each chute being adapted toreceive a stack of cigarettes by gravity from the hopper with thereceived cigarettes in horizontal position, a base plate at the bottomof said chutes to support the cigarettes therein, said chutes being openat the ends of the cigarettes therein to permit endwise ejection of thecigarettEs from the chutes, a member reciprocable in the direction ofthe length of the cigarettes and having pin means thereon to engage theends of the cigarettes to be ejected so as to push the cigarettes fromthe chutes, the cigarettes in the chutes above the ones ejectedtherefrom dropping to ejection position upon retraction of saidreciprocable member following an ejection stroke thereof, and meanslocalized at the lower exit end of said chutes and for urging saidcigarettes downwardly in said chutes to speed up the said droppingthereof to ejection position, said means including nozzle means operablefor inclined directing, opposite to each other briefly during retractionof said reciprocable member, only two jets of compressed airtransversely against longitudinal axis of cigarettes in said chutes inthe generally downward direction.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1,in which said nozzle means are arranged inclined to the drop directionalong opposite ends of said chutes near the ends of cigarettes in saidchutes and are adapted to be supplied with compressed air.
 3. Anapparatus according to claim 2, in which said nozzle means are locatedangularly downwardly and inwardly at a level such as to cause the jetstherefrom to impinge against the cigarettes which will be uppermost inthe chutes when the cigarettes are horizontally in ejection position. 4.An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes a stop member on theside of said chutes toward which the cigarettes are ejected adapted toengage beneath the adjacent ends of the lowermost non-ejected horizontalcigarettes in said chutes respectively, and means for withdrawing saidstop member from holding rail relationship beneath the adjacent ends ofsaid cigarettes to permit the cigarettes to drop to ejection position.5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the said stop member isadapted for being pivotally withdrawn from holding rail relationshipbeneath the adjacent ends of said cigarettes at about the same time assaid pin means.